Cherry Hill Sun

Tag: AAPI Heritage Month

  • ‘Culture, resilience and unity’ at AAPI festival

    May marks Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, a time to recognize and honor the diverse cultures and important contributions of those from Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities and backgrounds.

    Cherry Hill acknowledged the month with its fifth annual AAPI Festival on May 18 in the West High cafeteria and auditorium. The event kicked off at noon with tables representing area businesses and organizations and various forms of martial arts were on display. 

    Some attendees and demonstrators were engaging in Kendo, a form of modern Japanese martial arts in which opponents don protective gear and duel with bamboo swords. Participants at the festival used blunt wooden sticks. Teachers from area martial arts and karate studios also demonstrated how to break specially made boards and allowed attendees to try for themselves.

    Abigail Twiford/The Sun
    Participants engage in Kendo, a form of Japanese martial arts that features dueling with bamboo swords or sticks, at the Cherry Hill festival.

    One hour into the festival, speeches and introductions were beginning in the West auditorium. Nina Gao is the president of the Asian American Alliance of South Jersey, one of the main organizations behind the annual event.

    “Today, we are celebrating culture, resilience and unity,” Gao noted, “but we must also recognize the challenges that remain.” 

    She went on to discuss the strain immigrant communities have dealt with since January because of a rise in harmful or offensive media portrayals and fear of threats, violence or deportation.

    “We must show up, speak out and support each other,” Gao insisted. “One of the most powerful ways to do that is by voting. If you are eligible, make sure you are registered to vote and request a mail-in ballot.”

    Both Mayor Dave Fleisher and his wife, newly elected Camden County Commissioner Jennifer Cooley Fleisher, were at the festival, as were distinguished guests Moorestown Mayor Quinton Law and Evesham Township Mayor Jaclyn Veasy. 

    “We have mayors from different towns from across South Jersey who believe that treating people with dignity and respect, and with open inclusion and celebrating our diversity, is not something that just happens in a given month,” Fleisher remarked.

    “It is part of who we are as a community, and we embrace it and celebrate it each and every day of the year.”

    Though he was running late, U.S. Sen. Andy Kim and his son, August, were on hand, and during a break between performances, the first Korean American to serve in the Senate addressed the festival audience.

    “When I first started the run for Senate last year, I had people tell me that I was the wrong kind of minority to win statewide,” Kim recalled. “They said that there’s no way that an Asian American could win a statewide seat in New Jersey. And I just found that to be so frustrating. And I said to them, ‘Don’t think that I can only appeal to people who look like me.’”

    The festival also featured 17 performances that represented Asian and Pacific Islander cultures, including traditional and modern dance, musical performances and martial arts demonstrations. Performers of all ages took to the stage in colorful and culturally significant attire. 

    Students from the Cherry Hill Huaxia Chinese School used fans and props in six performances that ranged from traditional dances like “Melody of the Snow Dragon,” “Green Hills in the Distance” and “The Aroma of Tea,” and performed taichi movements in “16 Forms Taichi Boxing.” Their final, non-musical performance, “48 Forms Mulan Single Sword,” combined martial arts with prop swords and dancing.

    Students of the Cherry Hill Huaxia Chinese School perform “Melody of the Snow Dragon.” / Abigail Twiford
    Students of the Cherry Hill Huaxia Chinese School perform “Green Hills in the Distance.” / Abigail Twiford
    Students of the Cherry Hill Huaxia Chinese School perform “The Aroma of Tea.” / Abigail Twiford

    Students of the Cherry Hill Huaxia Chinese School perform “48 Forms Mulan Single Sword.” / Abigail Twiford

    Cherry Hill East students gave two separate performances. The Vietnamese Culture Club featured them in large dragon costumes as they mixed modern and traditional forms of dance and music. And the Filipino Culture Club also featured a mix of styles, as well as tinkling, a Filipino folk dance in which two people hold bamboo poles and tap them rhythmically against the ground as dancers jump or step over and between the moving poles.

    Students from Cherry Hill High School East’s Vietnamese Culture Club dress as dragons and dance to a mix of different musical genres. / Abigail
    Twiford
    Students from Cherry Hill High School East’s Vietnamese Culture Club dress in a variety of styles, both modern and traditional, to showcase the range of Vietnamese culture. / Abigail Twiford

    Students from the Filipino Culture Club at Cherry Hill High School East perform the dance known as tinkling. / Abigail Twiford

    The Reaksmey Sareypheap Khmer Dance Group performed a Khmer classical dance called, “The Robam Neary Chea Chour,” or “ladies in a line,” a dance that displays the beauty and elegance of young women in Cambodian culture. 

    Performers from the Reaksmey Sareypheap Khmer Dance Group perform a traditional Cambodian dance. / Abigail Twiford

    Guests were welcome to stay after the performances to purchase food and learn more about the cultures, businesses and organizations showcased throughout the festival.

  • Henna, heritage, harmony take stage at AAPI fest

    Photos courtesy of Sapana Raval
    Intricate henna designs by artist Sapana Raval of Voorhees adorned the hands of festival-goers at the AAPI Heritage Month Festival.


    More than 600 South Jerseyans – including one from Voorhees – gathered on May 18 at the fifth annual AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islander) Heritage Month Festival in Cherry Hill, an increasingly cherished tradition that continues to grow in size, spirit and cultural richness.

    Held for three-plus hours at Cherry Hill West High School, the festival was a vivid celebration of Asian cultures, with Indian heritage as one of its most visually resonant highlights. Attendees were treated to intricate henna tattoos, traditional folk-dance performances and hands-on interactions that brought Indian customs to life.

    At the heart of the cultural immersion was township resident Sapana Raval, a master folk-dance performer, henna tattoo artist and cultural ambassador. A member of the Voorhees Cultural and Diversity Club and the Voorhees-Gibbsboro Lions, Raval used both her art and her voice to invite attendees into the beauty and meaning of Indian traditions.

    Sapana Raval, a folk-dance artist and henna specialist, applies a delicate henna design on a guest’s arm during the AAPI Heritage Month Festival. Her work and storytelling brought Asian Indian cultural traditions to life.

    “For many, henna was a completely new experience,” Raval shared. “Attendees were captivated by the designs and fascinated to learn about the cultural significance behind them. Others shared personal memories, reminding them of family celebrations and rituals.

    “It became a beautiful exchange of stories and appreciation.”

    Henna – known in India as mehndi – is often applied during weddings, festivals and other celebrations. Its delicate, natural dye patterns serve as both ornamentation and storytelling, according to Raval, two facets she emphasized in her live demonstrations and community interactions.

    Equally powerful were the folk-dance performances she led, which pulsed with the energy of celebration and community.

    “Henna and folk dance are more than visual experiences,” she explained. “They’re acts of storytelling and connection. These traditions belong in every cultural celebration.”

    This year’s AAPI festival, hosted by the Asian American Alliance in South Jersey (AAASJ), not only marked its fifth installment, but was also the largest to date. The celebration featured crafts, food vendors and multi-cultural performances ranged from Cambodian dance to Korean drumming. But Indian culture played a uniquely connective role.

    “Our vision this year was all about inclusion,” noted Nina Gao, president of AAASJ. “We wanted to welcome new AAPI community members and connect more deeply with our non-Asian neighbors.”

    That vision was realized with participation and support from Cherry Hill schools, Virtua Health, FourLeaf Credit Union and the Perkins Center for the Arts.

    “This event has truly evolved,” Gao added. “What began as a smaller community celebration has grown into a shared cultural experience that promotes unity and understanding.”

    Behind the festival’s success is months of planning by AAASJ board members and volunteers. Other community outreach efforts – such as October’s Wellness 5K Walk and a high-school scholarship program – have helped raise awareness and build lasting connections.

    “This is our second year co-hosting with Cherry Hill public schools,” Gao said. “Their support has been instrumental in reaching local families and students. And our sponsors make it possible to keep the event free and accessible to all.”

    As the final notes of music played and the last rounds of henna dried under the spring sun, one thing was clear: The festival was more than a day of entertainment. It was a tapestry of cultural pride, woven with the stories and artistry of people like Raval.

    “We want young people to take away a sense of pride in their heritage,” Gao pointed out. “But also a commitment to serve their communities. This festival is a celebration of our diversity, and a reminder that we’re all stronger when we come together.”

    Residents interested in joining the Asian American Alliance in South Jersey or supporting upcoming events -including the next major celebration in October – can visit the group’s website or follow @aaasouthjersey on social media.